Realising he was suffering from a heart attack, paramedics got to work on a treatment plan.

Knowing that time was of the essence, the crew administered an intravenous drug known within the medical industry as a 'clot buster' - a blood thinning drug designed to clear out blockages in and around the heart.

But it didn't come without risk.

"It's very rare for us to use it as it carries the risk of bringing on a life threatening stroke in one in a 100 patients," Bowen paramedic Mitchell Higgs, who was one of two paramedics who administered the drug to Mr Woodrow, said.

Mr Higgs said although the medication is designed to fix blockages, it might cause bleeding in other areas around the body that might already be weakened.

Therefore paramedics had to take a measured approach.

But the drug worked a treat for Mr Woodrow, who after being on the brink of death mere minutes before, was suddenly drastically improving.

Mr Higgs said by the time he was flown to Townsville he was cracking jokes.

"It cleared a blockage in his heart and blood flow was restored and his heart was able to pump blood through to his body," he said.

"I felt any moment he could go into cardiac arrest.

"I was glad when we administered it and we saw some positive changes."

Mr Woodrow was discharged after a few days in hospital.

Now on ten tablets a day, he's adopted a new healthy diet and is feeling better than he has in years.

He returned to Bowen earlier this year for the first time since his heart attack and personally thanked the paramedics who saved his life.

He said the experience has given him a new perspective.

"My body seems to have reprogrammed itself," he said.

"Before I used to get pretty excited and short tempered and let things get to me fairly often.

"Whereas now I don't care about them as much. It's settled me down and I'm a lot cooler."